Possibly Starting To Write

[Shingetsu]

Well, I like to read SFF, and the idea of writing it is also appealing to me. I have thoughts and ideas for stories that I believe I would enjoy writing. I just started doing some research about writing, manuscripts, publishers, agents, etc. I'd like to believe I have a way with writing, but that's more self-flattery than truth I'm sure. I've not actually written a story or posted anything for comment.

I went to Borders to pick up a copy of Writing Fiction Step by Step by Josip Novakovich. I don't know if this is actually a good book to start with or not, I just looked around and this seemed to be handy.

Though one problem I need to fix is grammar. I've forgotten almost everything taught in high school, mainly because I hated it and didn't pay attention. I also didn't read books at all at the time either. Who knew it would come back to bite me in the ass, and so soon.

But I understand this isn't something to go into half-cocked. Writing books is obviously a harsh business with getting rejected and not being good enough. I wish there was a simple way to tell now if all I can do is make "good sentences"(if even that) or make a "good story".

I was also wondering if there was an online calculator somewhere to determine how many typed words a book would become in paperback. I hear 70, 000 words is suppose to be a goal. Which comes out to 300 or 400 pages?

How bad can a manuscript be grammar wise that an editor would still read it? If at least still containing capitals, periods, apostrophes, quotation marks, and paragraphs. The basics I remember, though this is more of a hypothetical question since I would need to get books to fix this anyways.

Some advice on where to start would be helpful. I don't really know what I'm doing. I at least have aspiration and imagination. But if I have what else is required is yet to be determined.

[The Ace]

The default settings on Microsoft Word, or Open Office Writer, give the correct page layout if spacing is set to, 'Double.' I forget the number of pages, but there are plenty of people around here to enlighten you.

Grammar is a little more complex, but you can pick up most of the basics by reading widely.

Obviously, speech will be in inverted commas (quotes) with each speaker starting a new paragraph. Names, the first letter of a sentence and the first letter within quotes should be capitalised and plurals don't take apostrophes.

Another trap is foreign plurals adopted into the language, words like 'Agenda,' 'Criteria,' and 'Media,' are plurals and don't need an extra 'S,' (only a moron would put them in). Words which end in '-Um,' drop the ending and take 'A,' to denote a plural thus;

One stadium, many stadia, NOT 'Stadiums,' any publisher allowing this particular atrocity should be shot.

Which word processor are you using ?

[Leisha]

I was also wondering if there was an online calculator somewhere to determine how many typed words a book would become in paperback. I hear 70, 000 words is suppose to be a goal. Which comes out to 300 or 400 pages?

I read this on an agent's blog recently: If you set your paragraphs to double spaced, your indents to 0.5 inches, your page size to A4, your font to Times New Roman, and switch off windows/orphan control in Word (like Ace said), one page will roughly equal one printed page in a book. And this was on an American agent's blog, by the way.

[Shingetsu]

I'm using Microsoft Word. Though I've only used it so far to write down ideas and some notes. I'm trying now to write a first paragraph, but that's more just messing with the story since I have allot to learn still.

[The Ace]

Just use 'Paragraph,' to set double-spacing and work it out from there. Your default font should be 12 point Times New Roman anyway.

Your tools will include spell check and word count, as well as a flawed but useful grammar check.

[Shingetsu]

There is a critique section here, is it really a good idea to post what you may wish to have published some day?

[Lith]

I say work on making a good story first. Then focus on grammar, first as it relates to telling a good story (are you using the right words for the mood you're trying to create? etc.), then worry about generally good English. And recruit family and friends to help you grammar pick it if you're worried, then send it off to the publisher. If it makes it past all that, then the editors can worry about it.

And remember, your spell checker's pretty lousy at picking out apostrophes in the wrong places.

[ctg]

I agree with Lith and I would also say that use whatever settings in the Word. I use line and half pacing, and 100 000 words is around 250 A4-pages, with the default borders. The font-issue is also up to you, but remember that things become different when you are ready to start thinking about submitting it to an agent.

When you are well in way of writing your story, the grammar starts to pick-up, and you will become much better then you used to be. Do not stop to edit your story, just get to the end. Have a pause, and do NOT touch your manuscript. After a week or two read your piece or even better, let someone else to read it.

When you get comments on your story, you will know on what works, and what doesn't.However, there is a one thing about the comments, not everyone of them are honest (read good). Therefore do think about what they say, and if two people talk about the same thing, then that is more valuable then one that comes from a single person. - unless that one person is an experienced editor, who knows the genre like their pockets.

Rewrite your book based on those comments, and repeat the process of getting the comments. Repeat the rewriting process if necessary. If not, then move on to think about researching on the available agents.

If you are lucky, then you get your story published, and you can move on to do the next book.

[Shingetsu]

That's what I most likely planned on doing. Work on the story first, and then worry about my poor grammar. Since no matter how good my grammar is, it's not going to make my story better.

The rewriting over and over does sound like a daunting task though.

[ctg]

It's the reality that you have to accept, like it or not.

[Culhwch]

I'd say don't think about getting published, don't think about word counts. If you want to be a writer, then you should want to write. So write. And read. Not necessarily how-to books, or style guides, though don't feel you shouldn't, but read stories. Short, long, middle, whatever length. Stories in the genre you're writing in, stories in genres you're not. Good stories, and bad stories. And pay attention to what you are reading. Work out why a story - or a chapter, or a paragraph, or a sentence, or a turn of phrase, or a choice of word - is good, or why it is bad. I'd say a solid ninety percent of what you learn about writing will come from reading other folk's work.

The truth is writing is not easy, and the chances of making a success of it are pretty slender. Put in the effort and you might see rewards. Maybe...

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by The Ace

Another trap is foreign plurals adopted into the language, words like 'Agenda,' 'Criteria,' and 'Media,' are plurals and don't need an extra 'S,' (only a moron would put them in).

While 'agenda' is technically a plural, I think 'agendas' is the more common pluralisation nowadays...

agendas definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta

[The Ace]

Yes , Shingetsu, by all means post a piece in 'Critiques,' I'd like to see it and we won't eat you... much.

[Shingetsu]

Is it a bad concept not to know what you will write until you write it? To only have a general outline of what you want to happen in the story. It seems I usually work the best that way, with coming up with ideas while writing.

Maybe I'll post something in Critiques later today even. I might just write a bit already to see how horrible I initially am. I shudder to think how bad it will be.

[The Ace]

Just sit down and write, you can clean it up afterwards.